115 research outputs found

    StarHorse: A Bayesian tool for determining stellar masses, ages, distances, and extinctions for field stars

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    Understanding the formation and evolution of our Galaxy requires accurate distances, ages and chemistry for large populations of field stars. Here we present several updates to our spectro-photometric distance code, that can now also be used to estimate ages, masses, and extinctions for individual stars. Given a set of measured spectro-photometric parameters, we calculate the posterior probability distribution over a given grid of stellar evolutionary models, using flexible Galactic stellar-population priors. The code (called {\tt StarHorse}) can acommodate different observational datasets, prior options, partially missing data, and the inclusion of parallax information into the estimated probabilities. We validate the code using a variety of simulated stars as well as real stars with parameters determined from asteroseismology, eclipsing binaries, and isochrone fits to star clusters. Our main goal in this validation process is to test the applicability of the code to field stars with known {\it Gaia}-like parallaxes. The typical internal precision (obtained from realistic simulations of an APOGEE+Gaia-like sample) are 8%\simeq 8\% in distance, 20%\simeq 20\% in age,6 \simeq 6\ % in mass, and 0.04\simeq 0.04 mag in AVA_V. The median external precision (derived from comparisons with earlier work for real stars) varies with the sample used, but lies in the range of [0,2]%\simeq [0,2]\% for distances, [12,31]%\simeq [12,31]\% for ages, [4,12]%\simeq [4,12]\% for masses, and 0.07\simeq 0.07 mag for AVA_V. We provide StarHorse distances and extinctions for the APOGEE DR14, RAVE DR5, GES DR3 and GALAH DR1 catalogues.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, accepte

    Optimal testing policies for diagnosing patients with intermediary probability of disease

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    This paper proposes a stochastic shortest path approach to find an optimal sequence of tests to confirm or discard a disease, for any prescribed optimality criterion. The idea is to select the best sequence in which to apply a series of available tests, with a view at reaching a diagnosis with minimum expenditure of resources. The proposed approach derives an optimal policy whereby the decision maker is provided with a test strategy for each a priori probability of disease, aiming to reach posterior probabilities that warrant either immediate treatment or a not-ill diagnosis

    Estímulo no crescimento e na hidrólise de ATP em raízes de alface tratadas com humatos de vermicomposto: i - efeito da concentração.

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    O vermicomposto contém uma concentração elevada de substâncias húmicas e já é bem conhecido o efeito do seu uso sobre as propriedades do solo. No entanto,a ação direta das substâncias húmicas sobre o metabolismo das plantas é menos conhecida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de humatos extraídos de vermicomposto de esterco de curral com KOH 0,1 mol L-1 sobre o desenvolvimento e metabolismo de ATP em plântulas de alface. Após a germinação, plântulas de alface foram tratadas com os humatos em concentrações que variaram de 0 a 100 mg L-1 de C, durante quinze dias. Foram avaliados o crescimento da raiz e a atividade das bombas de H+ isoladas da fração microssomal do sistema radicular. Foi observado aumento na matéria fresca e seca do sistema radicular, bem como no número de sítios de mitose, raízes emergidas do eixo principal, na área e no comprimento radiculares, com o uso do humato na concentração de 25 mg L-1 de C. Também foi observado, nessa concentração, aumento significativo na hidrólise de ATP pelas bombas de H+, responsáveis pela geração de energia necessária à absorção de íons e pelo crescimento celular

    The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment

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    The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14 happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov 2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected

    Diversity of lactic acid bacteria of the bioethanol process

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bacteria may compete with yeast for nutrients during bioethanol production process, potentially causing economic losses. This is the first study aiming at the quantification and identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) present in the bioethanol industrial processes in different distilleries of Brazil.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 489 LAB isolates were obtained from four distilleries in 2007 and 2008. The abundance of LAB in the fermentation tanks varied between 6.0 × 10<sup>5 </sup>and 8.9 × 10<sup>8 </sup>CFUs/mL. Crude sugar cane juice contained 7.4 × 10<sup>7 </sup>to 6.0 × 10<sup>8 </sup>LAB CFUs. Most of the LAB isolates belonged to the genus <it>Lactobacillus </it>according to rRNA operon enzyme restriction profiles. A variety of <it>Lactobacillus </it>species occurred throughout the bioethanol process, but the most frequently found species towards the end of the harvest season were <it>L. fermentum </it>and <it>L. vini</it>. The different rep-PCR patterns indicate the co-occurrence of distinct populations of the species <it>L. fermentum </it>and <it>L. vini</it>, suggesting a great intraspecific diversity. Representative isolates of both species had the ability to grow in medium containing up to 10% ethanol, suggesting selection of ethanol tolerant bacteria throughout the process.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study served as a first survey of the LAB diversity in the bioethanol process in Brazil. The abundance and diversity of LAB suggest that they have a significant impact in the bioethanol process.</p

    "De frente pro crime": cultura organizacional e socialização dos peritos ingressantes no departamento de criminalística do instituto-geral de perícias do Rio Grande do Sul

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    A pesquisa objetivou verificar como determinados aspectos da cultura organizacional do Departamento de Criminalística são transmitidos aos neófitos, por meio do curso de formação de peritos; quem são esses ingressantes; qual a significação que o curso e as futuras atividades a serem desenvolvidas possuem para eles. Os dados foram obtidos mediante o fazer etnográfico, tendo por técnicas a observação participante, realizada com a presença da pesquisadora no módulo Local de Crime contra a Vida, realizado de maio a junho de 2009, além de consulta a materiais documentais e aplicação de um questionário de perguntas abertas a 29 alunos. A análise dos dados seguiu os preceitos da etnografia, que preconiza o diálogo entre o êmico, o ético e os teóricos referenciados. Os resultados apontam ênfase em determinados aspectos presentes na atuação dos peritos, a saber: responsabilidade, dedicação, impossibilidade de cometer erros, que, se por um lado, traz uma contribuição positiva, ao reforçar a importância do papel a ser desempenhado, por outro, gera angústia e medo nos ingressantes, em razão da inexperiência deles, levando a uma tensão que pode ser prejudicial ao exercício profissional. Contudo, o estigma inerente à atuação dos peritos ficou entre os não ditos e só será verificado pelos ingressantes quando de suas atuações no dia a dia
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